419ers get a taste of Texas Justice

Urgent proposal for jail time

May we humbly request your immediate and urgent attention to tell you the story of a Nigerian e-mail scammer convicted of wire fraud in Houston, Texas?

One Ambrose Kizito Agwuibe was found guilty by a federal jury for trying to scam people with a new version of the 419 ruse. Agwuibe would ask people for help pushing a box containing $22 million through US Customs at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. Victims of the deal were promised a percentage of the cash if they would claim it, the AP reports.

Once on board with the scam, however, the people were told they needed to provide some money upfront to cover shipping costs.

A Western Union employee alerted the Feds to the suspicious scheme after noticing money being wired to Agwuibe and a coconspirator named Patrick Omu. Omu pleaded guilty last year.

Both men will be sentenced later this year. They could receive up to five years in prison for pulling in more than $400,000 from the scam.
®